All Black Trans Queer Nonbinary Street Mural, Oakland, CA

The "All Black Trans Queer Nonbinary Street Mural" was created in Oakland, California in June 2020. It is located on Lakeside Park Road outside of the Gardens of Lake Merritt. It is the Bay Area's longest street mural and has been seen around the world. The mural was organized by the East Bay Queer Arts Center. The mural was produced by local artists and activists including Kin Folz, the founder of the East Bay Queer Arts Center. In June of 2020, more than 300 volunteers participated in its creation. Oakland native, Tory Teasley, explained "This is our live-out-loud creative experience, it's something that marks the stamp on what this city is truly about. It represents its communities, the diversity of people here." In September 2021, just over a year after the mural was created, a "Pride Mural Paint Party" was organized in order to help return the mural to its original state after it started to fade. The "Paint Party" took place during Oakland's Pride Month.

The party also focused on the significance of the people, occurrences, and spaces that have played an important role in LGBTQIA+ diversity, such as the Oakland Pride Parade and Festival, which had been canceled that year because of COVID-19. As well as recognizing the value of the people fighting for equality, equity, and justice, the party also focused on remembering the importance of the cultural history not only in Lake Merritt but all around the city. They highlighted marginalized communities and the ongoing challenges that individuals within those communities face on a daily basis. These difficulties are the reason why the mural still remains relevant today. David Xone Johnson, an ambassador of the Queer Arts Center said, "I'll be transparent: It's still extremely challenging. So we're coming together to acknowledge that and just take everything that we're dealing with collectively into one statement to say that we are here and matter." Beyond bringing attention to the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole, the mural also focuses on the many incarcerated people who are LGBTQIA+. Janetta Johnson, an executive director of the TGI (Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex) Project, spoke of the need for incarcerated transgender individuals to have a community and resources (including housing opportunities) available to them once they are released from prison. "We are dedicating our lives to the people who have been silenced. We are working to make your voices heard."  

Sources

https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/items/show/3387Links to an external site. 

https://abc7news.com/blm-mural-oakland-gardens-at-lake-merritt-lives-matter-east-bay-queer-arts-center/6282968/Links to an external site. 

https://localnewsmatters.org/2021/09/08/a-fresh-coat-of-visibility-pride-mural-paint-party-revitalizes-all-black-lives-matter-mural-at-lake-merritt/Links to an external site. 

https://www.queerartscenter.com/team/kin-folkzLinks to an external site.